The Marq

2015, Marquette MI

This locally-oriented gastro pub pairs familiar materials with unfamiliar aesthetics. In an area known for dense forests and rustic cabins, we transformed wood and the image of wood grain into various altered states. On the walls, gold paint is coated with a granular adhesive, producing a rough, dripping remnant of a natural material. The wainscoting boards are burnt and blackened, edged in metallic gold, and dipped into a glossy, plastic resin. Behind the bar and in the entryway the black walls are highlighted with linear gold streaks, evoking yet another manifestation of wood abstracted. The bar top consists of charred cedar posts coated in metallic flakes and a glossy resin. On the exterior, custom signage and a gabled entryway mark the restaurant’s presence set back from the sidewalk. The arch is covered in cedar chunks that have been stained, burnt, and painted. Overall, The Marq smears glam and grit over woody surfaces, gaming material expectation while maintaining an experiential link to the familiar and the contextual.